More than 500 marine underwriters and senior representatives from many international maritime organisations are expected to attend the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) conference on September 18-21 at the Pullman Montparnasse Hotel.

According to IUMI, although there has been a lull in Somali pirate operations because of the monsoon, the past few weeks have seen a worrying upsurge in attacks off West Africa, with a number of vessels successfully hijacked. It has been reported there are now 21 countries, in part or in whole, which are affected by piracy.

But Somalia remains the critical threat. According to anti-piracy naval forces in the area, more than 400 seafarers are currently being held hostage on some 20 vessels. There have been murders and ill-treatment, with many stories of torture and seafarers deprived of adequate food, sleep and health care.

Earlier this year, Ole Wikborg, the Norwegian president of IUMI, called the hostages “the world’s forgotten mariners.” He said that the piracy problems in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean were “an absolutely unacceptable disruption of global trade to which marine insurers must respond.”

“The cargo as well as the hull and machinery insurance markets have made their contributions to mitigate the financial losses resulting from the hijacking or detainment of vessels. Insurers have also helped in negotiations with the pirates and to provide the funds demanded to release crews and return them safely to their homes and families,” he said.

Wikborg noted that IUMI has made contributions to Best Management Practice No 3 and subsequent initiatives, which formulate the precautions shipowners and operators should take to minimise the probability of attacks.

And in line with the maritime transportation industry at large, property underwriters have taken a more ambivalent stand on the use of armed guards to reduce the risk of a vessel becoming the next victim.

The annual IUMI forum will cover the gamut of marine insurance under the general theme of The Evolution of Risk, Safety and Security. IUMI’s executive committee and its seven technical committees will meet on Sunday 18 September, and there will be an opening reception hosted by the French market in the evening.

Further information on the IUMI conference aganda and registration details can be found on the IUMI website at www.iumi.com.